Sharon Stone on her famous leg-cross scene in Basic Instinct: ‘I Became a Legend, But Respect Never Came'

Sharon Stone is talking about the famous scene that changed her career and caused a lot of trouble for decades. The Basic Instinct star talks about how one shocking moment made her a Hollywood icon, but it came at a cost to her personal and professional life.

In a new, honest interview, the 67-year-old actress talks about why she chose not to do the famous leg-crossing scene in the movie, why she doesn't regret it, and how the scene changed her life on and off screen.

Sharon Stone says that moment made her famous, but it didn't earn her respect. At 67, she's now accepting her legacy on her own terms.

Why did Sharon Stone keep the scene in?

Sharon Stone is finally telling the truth about her most famous and controversial scene on screen, more than 30 years after Basic Instinct shocked Hollywood. The actress told Business Insider that she had the legal right to cut the now-famous interrogation scene, but she chose not to.

Stone said, "I understood, as the director, not the girl in the movie, that it made the movie better." She thought about the creative choice she made even though she was angry at how the shot was handled at first.


Stone's character, Catherine Tramell, crosses her legs during a police interrogation, which shows that she wasn't wearing underwear. This scene became one of the most talked-about moments in movie history. Stone said that director Paul Verhoeven was scared to show her the footage, but once she calmed down, she agreed that it should stay.

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How did the scene change her life and career?

Stone says that the scene made her famous all over the world, but it didn't give her the respect she wanted. "It made me famous, but it didn't give me respect," she said.

She has also talked about how the role affected her personally. Stone said in a previous interview that she lost custody of her son in part because of what people thought about the movie and her part in it. "We don't get to make these choices in life," she said, admitting that the scene had a lasting effect on how people saw her.

She doesn't hold any grudges, though, and she only has good things to say about Verhoeven. She says they still have a "wonderful relationship."

What does she think about it now?

Stone, who is now 67, is not angry. She thinks about things, even in a philosophical way. She said, "What I did with what happened is exactly what I wanted to do." She also talked about how the movie was ahead of its time because it showed sex, nudity, and homosexuality in ways that were new at the time. These things are now common on streaming services.

"There was a lot of stress on that set," she said, adding that even Verhoeven had to go to the hospital during filming because of it. "People show their penises on Netflix now, but what we were doing back then was very new."

There is a reboot of Basic Instinct in the works, and Stone's legacy and that famous scene, continue to be talked about. But for her, the story is no longer about the argument. It's about having something.

FAQs

Did Sharon Stone regret filming the leg-crossing scene?
No, she said she had the chance to remove it but chose to keep it, believing it made the movie better.

Did the scene impact her personal life?
Yes, Stone claimed she lost custody of her son partly due to public perception from that role.